Artist Statement

My oil and encaustic paintings are nature-based abstractions, with an emphasis on botanical forms. I’m fascinated with the human tendency to imbue plants with symbolic significance, throughout history and across cultures. My work is also inspired by the large, ambitious conservation project, the Millennium Seed Bank Project, where seeds are collected internationally and stored for the future. Plants are medicine, symbols in myths and religion, a focus of beauty and art, food, and the very lungs of our planet. My interests in evolution, conservation, and wilderness, deeply inform my art.

Art making is like an alchemical process, where subject, technique and materials come together in unique ways. Painting involves process and discovery, as techniques vary and evolve organically. Being present every moment is crucial, as painting is similar to mindfulness practice. I fuse layers of encaustic wax, incorporate drawn elements on paper, and paint with oils and cold wax. I explore the place between representation and abstraction because that is where the balance, tension, and mystery lie.

Artist Bio

Alison lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she is currently on sabbatical from teaching art at the independent school Albuquerque Academy. She is focused exclusively on painting and developing her art, and has a studio at the Harwood Art Center. For the past sixteen years she has taught all levels of drawing and painting, including AP Drawing. She particularly loves taking students on wilderness art making trips. The connections she develops with young people through art feeds her creative spirit.

Alison has a BFA in painting from the University of Calgary, in Canada, and a master’s degree in Art Therapy from UNM. She grew up in western Canada and has traveled extensively around the world. Her background in outdoor education and art therapy have given her a deep appreciation for the transformative and healing power of both nature and art. Her work has been in various juried shows, at 516 ARTS Downtown, The Albuquerque Museum, and in many other exhibitions.

Exhibitions:


Collected, Encompass Gallery Exhibition, Harwood Art Center, 2018
11th Annual 12x12 Exhibition and Fundraiser, Harwood Art Center, 2017
Small Works Exhibition, New Mexico Art League, 2017
Visual Arts Faculty Show, Albuquerque Academy, 2016
Sole/Soul: Mixed Media Work, Dr. Zachary Haas Podiatry Office, 2016
Visual Arts Faculty Show, Albuquerque Academy, 2015
Collect 10, Center For Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe, 2013
New Mexico Showcase, 516 ARTS Downtown, Albuquerque, 2012
Visual Arts Faculty Show, Albuquerque Academy, 2011
Albuquerque NOW - Fall, Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, 2009-2010
Visual Arts Faculty Show, Albuquerque Academy, 2009
Visual Arts Faculty Show, Albuquerque Academy, 2007
Visual Arts Faculty Show, Albuquerque Academy, 2006
12X12 Exhibition, Harwood Art Center, Albuquerque, 2005
Visual Arts Faculty Show, Albuquerque Academy, 2005
Visual Arts Faculty Show, Albuquerque Academy, 2003
NM Art Therapy Association Show, UNM Art Education Gallery, 2000
NM Art Therapy Association Show, Fisher Gallery, Albuquerque, 1999
Openings to the Underworld, Harwood Art Center, 1997
Art Therapy Graduating Show, UNM Art Education Gallery, 1996
Anatomy of Solitude, China Phoenix Gallery, Albuquerque, 1995
Women’s Shelter, Environmental Design Gallery, University of Calgary, 1988
Recent Art Graduates, Virginia Christopher Gallery, Calgary, 1988
BFA Art Graduates, Gulf Canada Gallery, Calgary, 1988
BFA Graduating Exhibition, Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, 1988
Women’s Show, Little Gallery, University of Calgary, 1988
Survey Alberta ’88, Alberta College of Art, Calgary, 1988

Member:
Encaustic Art Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico